Toy eye and toy using same

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a toy eye. The toy eye includes a pupil area, a first thermochromatic area, an iris area, and a second thermochromatic area. The first thermochromatic area has a first color in the center of the toy eye. The first thermochromatic area is made of reversible thermochromatic material with a first discoloration temperature. The first thermochromatic area is disposed around the pupil area. The iris area has the second color. The iris area is disposed around the first thermochromatic area. The second thermochromatic area is made of reversible thermochromatic material with a second discoloration temperature. The second thermochromatic area is disposed around the iris area. The first thermochromatic area and the second thermochromatic area changes color if the temperature of the toy eye is higher than the first discoloration temperature and the second discoloration temperature.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to toys, and in particularly, to a toy eye capable of indicating a working state of a toy using same.

2. Description of Related Art

Some physical states of a person may be recognized according to the condition of the eyes of the person. For example, when a person is tired, their pupils may grow smaller and their eyes get red. Some electronic toys may not include proper cooling because of cost and/or complexity, therefore after extended use the controlling chip may overheat. In an overheated state the toy may become erratic in its response and/or may be damaged.

What is needed, therefore, is a toy eye capable of overcoming or at least alleviate the above-described problem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Many aspects of the present toy eye and a toy using same can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present toy eye and a toy using same.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a toy according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a toy eye of the toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the toy eye on a working state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a toy 100, according to an exemplary embodiment, is shown. The toy 100 includes a shell 10, a chip 20, a toy eye 30, and a heat conductor 40. Both the chip 20 and the heat conductor 40 are received in the shell 10, while the toy eye 30 is engaged with the shell 10.

The shell 10 has a rectangular configuration in this embodiment, and defines a hole 11 on a side surface thereof for receiving the toy eye 30 therein. The chip 20 is mounted on a circuit board 12 formed at the bottom of the shell 10. The conductor 40 connects the toy eye 30 to the chip 20. The chip 20 is used for processing data and controlling actions of the toy 100. The heat conductor 40 is used for conducting heat from the chip 20 to the toy eye 30. The heat conductor 40 includes a first end 41 and a second end 42 opposite to the first end 41. The first end 41 is thermally coupled to the chip 20, while the second end 42 is thermally coupled to the toy eye 30.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the toy eye 30 includes a pupil area 31, a first thermochromatic area 32, an iris area 33, and a second thermochromatic area 34.

The pupil area 31 with a first color is disposed in the center of the toy eye 30. In the present embodiment, the shape of the pupil area 31 is circular, and the first color is black. The first thermochromatic area 32 is disposed around the pupil area 31. In the present embodiment, the first thermochromatic area 32 is ring-shaped. The first thermochromatic area 32 is made of reversible thermochromatic material with a first discoloration temperature. The reversible thermochromatic material can be metal ionic compound, inorganic salts, or liquid crystal. In the present embodiment, the first thermochromatic area 32 is made from metal ionic compound. If the temperature of the first thermochromatic area 32 is lower than the first discoloration temperature, the color of the first thermochromatic area 32 is black. If the temperature of the first thermochromatic area 32 is higher than the first discoloration temperature, the color of the first thermochromatic area 32 will change to a second color. In the present embodiment, the second color is blue. In other embodiments, the second color can be brown etc. The iris area 33 is disposed around the first thermochromatic area 32 with the second color. In the present embodiment, the iris area 33 is ring-shaped.

The second thermochromatic area 34 is disposed around the iris area 33. The second thermochromatic area 34 is made of reversible thermochromatic material with a second discoloration temperature. The reversible thermochromatic material can be metal ionic compound, inorganic salts, or liquid crystal. In the present embodiment, the second thermochromatic area 34 is made from metal ionic compound. The second discoloration temperature can be the same or alternatively it can be different from the first discoloration temperature for showing different temperatures of the chip 20. If the temperature of the second thermochromatic area 34 is lower than the second discoloration temperature, the color of the second thermochromatic area will change to a third color. In the present embodiment, the third color is white. If the temperature of the second thermochromatic area 34 is higher than the second discoloration temperature, the second thermochromatic area 34 will turn red. In the present embodiment, the second thermochromatic area 34 is also ring-shaped.

In the present embodiment, the upper limit of the operating temperature of the chip 20 is 70° C., and the first discoloration temperature is 60° C. The heat conductor 40 continuously conducts the heat of the chip 20 to the toy eye 30, when the temperature of the chip 20 is higher than 60° C., the temperature of the first thermochromatic area 32 will be higher than 60° C. too, and the color of the first thermochromatic area 32 will be changed to the second color from the first color. So the color of the first thermochromatic area 32 is change to the color of iris area 33 from the color of the pupil area 31, and the toy eye 30 will appear to have a constricted pupil. In the present embodiment, when the temperature of the first thermochromatic area 32 is higher than 60° C., the color of the first thermochromatic area 32 will change to blue. When the temperature of the first thermochromatic area 32 is lower than 60° C., the color of the first thermochromatic area 32 will remain black.

When the temperature of the second thermochromatic area 34 is higher than the second discoloration temperature, the second thermochromatic area 34 will turn red. When the temperature of the second thermochromatic area 34 is lower than the second discoloration temperature, the color of the second thermochromatic area 34 will maintain the third color. In the present embodiment, when the temperature of the second thermochromatic area 34 is higher than 60° C., the color of the second thermochromatic area 34 will change to red. When the temperature of the second thermochromatic area 34 is lower than 60° C., the color of the second thermochromatic area 34 will remain white. When the temperature of the chip 20 is higher than 90° C., the toy eye 30 will appear to have a constricted pupil and turn red similar to humans. That is a warning to the user to give the toy a rest and avoid damage to the chip.

While certain embodiments have been described and exemplified above, various other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described and exemplified, and the embodiments are capable of considerable variation and modification without departure from the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A toy eye comprising: a pupil area with a first color; a first thermochromatic area, made of reversible thermochromatic material with a first discoloration temperature, disposed around the pupil area,; an iris area with a second color, disposed around the first thermochromatic area; and a second thermochromatic area, made of reversible thermochromatic material with a second discoloration temperature, disposed around the iris area; wherein when the temperature of the first thermochromatic area is lower than the first discoloration temperature, the color of the first thermochromatic area remains the first color, and when the temperature of the first thermochromatic area is higher than the first discoloration temperature, the color of the first thermochromatic area changes to the second color; and when the temperature of the second thermochromatic area is lower than the second discoloration temperature, the color of the second thermochromatic area is a third color, and when the temperature of the second thermochromatic area is higher than the second discoloration temperature, the second thermochromatic area changes to red.
 2. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first color is black, and the third color is white.
 3. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second color is selected from one of brown and blue.
 4. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reversible thermochromatic material of the first thermochromatic area is selected from one of metal ionic compound, inorganic salts, and liquid crystal.
 5. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reversible thermochromatic material of the second thermochromatic area is selected from one of metal ionic compound, inorganic salts, and liquid crystal.
 6. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first discoloration temperature is the same as the second discoloration temperature.
 7. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the pupil area is circular.
 8. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first thermochromatic area is ring-shaped.
 9. The toy eye as claimed in claim 1, wherein the iris area is ring-shaped.
 10. A toy comprising: a chip for processing data; a toy eye comprising: a pupil area with a first color; a first thermochromatic area, made of reversible thermochromatic material with a first discoloration temperature, disposed around the pupil area; an iris area with a second color, disposed around the first thermochromatic area; and a second thermochromatic area, made of reversible thermochromatic material with a second discoloration temperature, disposed around the iris area; wherein when the temperature of the first thermochromatic area is lower than the first discoloration temperature, the color of the first thermochromatic area remains the first color, and when the temperature of the first thermochromatic area is higher than the first discoloration temperature, the color of the first thermochromatic area changes to the second color; when the temperature of the second thermochromatic area is lower than the second discoloration temperature, the color of the second thermochromatic area is a third color, and when the temperature of the second thermochromatic area is higher than the second discoloration temperature, the second thermochromatic area changes to red; and a heat conductor with one end thereof thermally coupled to the chip, and the opposite end thereof thermally coupled to the toy eye.
 11. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first color is black, and the third color is white.
 12. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second color is selected from one of brown and blue.
 13. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reversible thermochromatic material of the first thermochromatic area is selected from one of metal ionic compound, inorganic salts, and liquid crystal.
 14. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reversible thermochromatic material of the second thermochromatic area is selected from one of metal ionic compound, inorganic salts, and liquid crystal.
 15. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first discoloration temperature is the same as the second discoloration temperature.
 16. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shape of the pupil area is circular.
 17. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first thermochromatic area is ring-shaped.
 18. The toy as claimed in claim 10, wherein the iris area is ring-shaped. 